Hoodlum Tragedies (Old Version)

T E N S I O N S

"I guess you didn't think to tell me you had a partner, amigo." Tio Jose says as he sits at the kitchen table.

Curly had been on his way out and just casually mentioned that he'd be meeting up with Connie and that she would help him sell. He shrugs awkwardly and plays with his curls in the back of his head. "Didn't think I needed to tell you." He says carefully.

Jose takes in a deep breath before asking Curly,

"Y'know this Chica well?"

Curly nodded, he had knew her pretty much all his life and he came to understand her antics. If she was going to cross him, he knew the signs. Not that he thought she would, not this time at least, she was desperate. And if she had plans for stepping over Curly he had plans to make sure she burned. Jose shook his head before letting out a chuckle, he was tending to the white dust on the table, Curly watched as it fell to the floor.

"Alright. Make sure she don't get too close to the product or the money. You can't trust no one, entiendes?"

"Si." Curly replies.

His uncle chuckles before flicking his hand, signaling that it was okay for Curly to leave. Connie had been standing on on the poor with her hands on her hips and a cigarette in her mouth.

His Tio laughed again and signaled for Curly that it was alright to leave. He opened the door to see that Connie had been standing there on the porch with her hands on her hips and a cigarette in her mouth. They decided to meet at this address before going back to Susie's to eat and then to sell at a nightclub.

"Jesus, you're the one who's bitching about being late but look at you." She scoffs.

Curly rolls his eyes and ignores her as he walks towards his car. She quickly follows him in the car like he thought she would.

Curly rolls his eyes and ignores her like he usually does. She follows him to the car like the lost puppy she made herself to be just like he thought she would.

"I'm gonna run in the diner real quick." Curly told Connie as he turned the car off once he reached Susie's.

Connie lifted her head and looked over at Curly before asking "Why?"

Curly groaned and mocked Connie and got out of the car. He was about to tell her to mind her business but to start arguing this early into their partnership would mean it was bad luck. The truth however, he wanted to see Daisy before he left. Her shift was ending and he wouldn't want her to worry if she hadn't seen him for a while. He would never tell her what he was getting in to, it would be beyond foolish to put the both of them in harms way, but Daisy was smart, she had an idea.

Once Curly got inside, he put in order in for a shake and he noticed she wasn't working at the counter. She had been standing off to the side, away from the jukebox with an older looking man that she resembled quite a bit and her younger brother James. She had a look of discomfort and she tried to appear even more closed off than she normally died, she was hugging her arms and her head slightly dipped. He had put it together the man was her father, with the over extended power he seemed to have over her and James. The man looked tough, as if he could've been in the military at one point in his life. Perfect posture, and a blank face.

"You'd better not be hanging around these goddamn thugs. I ain't kick that nappy headed brother of yours out for no reason." The old man ranted.

Daisy chewed on her lip as she looked down at her shoes, slowly nodding. "I know, Daddy. I'm not I promise. He was only Karen's brother." She said with embarrassment.

"And you better not be talking to Willy either. I'd beat the skin off your tail if I find out you are." He threatened.

Curly flinched at the words as he remembered the same sort of threats from his own parents. He wondered if it was just an empty threat, just to scare her a little bit. The Tio's used to use empty threats for Angela all the time but they would be out of their mind if they carried out with it. Her father didn't seem like he had been kidding. Curly could feel his anger rising from the violence the old man spat. He had to remember to keep his cool. Daisy brought her eyes up to Curly's before quickly looking away with a bashful look panting her face. She grabbed James protectively before hanging her head again.